Isis propaganda machine hit hard, says US study

Isis' propaganda arm had been allegedly decimated by coalition strikes and had experienced a tough time amid a crackdown by social networks. Photo / AP

The Isis (Islamic State) group's propaganda machine, largely credited with effectively attracting fresh recruits, has been weakened by military setbacks in Iraq and Syria, a United States study said yesterday.

The jihadist group's photo and video dissemination has been cut drastically year by year, research by the West Point military academy's Combating Terrorism Centre revealed.

While 700 pieces of media were produced by the Isis group in August of last year, numbers began declining by the end of the year, with only 200 put out during the same month in 2016, the researchers said.

"It is clear that the organisation has been forced to cut back these activities in response to the increasing amount of counterterrorism pressure brought to bear against the organisation," said the study.

It also noted there were fewer images depicting a well-running jihadist "caliphate" in the form of schools, libraries, police and public services.

"This decline suggests that the group is struggling to maintain the outward appearance of a functioning state," the study said.

Meanwhile, videos showing the execution of spies have increased significantly, demonstrating either "paranoia" amid increasing pressure or challenges from within that are causing a public display of brutality.

The view that Isis' online outreach is weakening is shared by a number of experts in the field, said J.M. Berger, a US specialist known for his studies on jihadists' Twitter presence.

Isis' propaganda arm had been decimated by coalition strikes and had experienced a tough time amid a crackdown by social networks, he said.

"They have less media available now, it is more difficult to find, and the content itself is considerably less optimistic and less varied," Berger told AFP.

"All of this is likely to continue to depress their recruitment efforts, although it doesn't completely mitigate the problem."